Wellbeing and performance expert George Anderson is on a mission to inspire people to take more action so they can thrive more.
George Anderson is a man who gets it. He understands how hard it can be to change habits or be consistent. So in his talks he keeps it simple by bridging the gap between knowing and doing.
George is all about practical tools and strategies that will have an immediate and lasting impact on your life. And he knows what he’s talking about. Drawing on personal experiences and 20 years of client work, he strips away the overwhelm and replaces it with a philosophy of ‘progress, not perfection’.
The result? You buy into his vision of ownership and possibility and make it your own.
As we near the end of January, we asked him to share some simple strategies to help you build momentum and staying power for the year ahead.
Here’s what he had to say.
Start to Sustain
There’s no one single habit, tool or mindset hack that will transform your performance in 2023. But a few small changes applied consistently can have a noticeable compound effect.
Here are 10 strategies that may help you start strong and bring about sustainable change.
- Re-evaluate goals, habits and systems
Many of our habits and and the systems we have evolved over time are either inefficient or no longer effective. Even some goals that we’re working towards today may no longer be relevant yet we continue with them because it’s what we’ve always done. Take a moment to reevaluate your goals, habits and systems and ask yourself, if you weren’t already doing them would you start now?
2. Practice self-compassion
We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and when we fail to come up to these arbitrary standards our self-judgement can push us back further and harder than the failure alone. Accepting that you’re a work in progress and that there’s usually something that can be learned from a setback, opens you up to more of a self-compassionate growth mindset. Fall down less, but get up faster.
3. Get better at saying no
People can’t respect our boundaries any more than we are willing and able to define, declare and defend them. Success requires us to get better at saying ‘no’, and remaining focused on what’s most important.
4. Have a plan, but be flexible
Plans are based on assumptions and predictions, and it’s up to us to update these as more information comes to light. Doggedly sticking to an outdated plan just so we can align our actions with our intentions is ineffective.
5. Self-monitor your energy levels
Available energy fluctuates from day to day (and in some cases moment to moment). Get into the habit of checking in with yourself and monitoring your energy levels. If you notice that they’re low, what would give you a bit of a boost, or prevent them from draining further?
6. Get into daylight as soon as possible in the morning
As soon as possible after both you and the sun are up, try to spend 10-30 minutes outside. Even on a cloudy day there will be enough light in the sky to help reset your internal rhythms that regulate everything from sleep and appetite to immune function and energy levels
7. Add more fermented food to your diet
If you haven’t yet discovered the joys of fermented foods, add some to your next shopping list. Kombucha, kefir, kimchi, natural yoghurt and sauerkraut are all examples of easily accessible foods that pack a heft gut-health punch. Gut health is linked with brain health, immune function and many other systems in the body, and the microbiota thrive on the rocket fuel of these fermented foods.
Too much screen time can sap attention and energy
8. Reduce screen time
Check the settings in your phone and note how many hours you spend on your device each day. Is it inline with what you expected? How about the number of ‘pick ups’ or ‘unlocks’ you do each day? These metrics make it easy to assess your digital usage and decide if there’s a requirement to make changes. Hundreds of picks ups and hours of screen time may be contributing to a lack of focus and anxiety. As a starting point, consider switching off all notifications, and switching on the ‘downtime’ feature to create some screen free time at the start and end of each day
9. Power down
Many of our habits, energy and resilience can be heavily influenced by the amount and quality of sleep we get. Paying attention to how you spend the 30-60 minutes before bed can dramatically improve the quality of your sleep.This power-down period, where you’re reducing the stimulation you’re exposed to, is a habit that has an outsized effect on your performance, mood and energy levels the following day.
10. Break up your day with several short walks
Forget the 10,000 steps a day ‘rule’, and instead aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking, ideally broken up into shorter chunks and carried out through the day. These short walks will help keep your energy levels buoyant, but can also be a great way to calm background anxiety and open you up to more creative thinking.
You may find that one or two of these items resonate with you more than the others. These are your starting points. Progress not perfection – you don’t have to do it all.
You can book George to speak at your event here.
Or if you’d like to learn more about him, email joanne@psspeakers.com or call us on 01 475 0360
